Ex-Chelsea winger should be on Plymouth Argyle's managerial radar: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle are on the hunt for a new manager following Ian Foster's sacking at the beginning of April.

Despite being in a relegation battle, the Pilgrims decided not to replace Foster with a permanent manager, and instead caretaker boss Neil Dewsnip was handed the reins, and he managed to keep the club up on the final day.

It's easy to say now after they've survived, but letting Dewsnip take over was a clever move in hindsight, with the 59-year-old a popular figure at Home Park and knowing the club inside out, he was able to help get them over the line.

This has given the platform for Argyle to build from, and they're searching far and wide for a new manager this summer.

The League of Ireland perhaps won't be a place where many Championship clubs are shopping for new managers, but it perhaps could be, with one candidate particularly impressing.

Damian Duff should be on Plymouth Argyle's radar this summer

When it comes to who Plymouth supporters want as their next manager, you'd struggle to find someone who has suggested Damien Duff as their next boss, and it would be a risk, but the Irishman looks like a potentially shrewd appointment.

More known for his exploits as a player on these shores during the noughties, Duff spent time as a player with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Fulham, before retiring in 2015.

After retiring, the Irishman managed Shamrock Rovers' youth sides, before becoming Shelbourne U17's boss ahead of the 2020/21 season, before becoming the club's first team boss in November 2021, ahead of the 2022 League of Ireland season.

Duff has impressed in what's been his first senior job, and Shelbourne, who had just been promoted to the top-flight prior to the ex-Chelsea man's arrival, have improved each year.

It must be stressed that there are still 20 games left, so there's no guarantee that Duff's side will continue this run of form, but credit must go to him for turning a newly-promoted side into title contenders after just three seasons.

Thanks to their fourth place finish last season, Duff's side are also set to take part in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds, and a good run there will only help his stock grow.

The 45-year-old is clearly a good manager, and it seems like only a matter of time before he gets a move to England, and Plymouth could get ahead of other clubs this summer.

Plymouth should look outside the box for their next managerial appointment

Plymouth should stay away from the tried and tested options this summer, and should instead look for someone with massive potential and everything to prove at this level of football.

The Pilgrims had success with this model when they appointed Steven Schumacher in 2021, whose only senior experience was as a caretaker at Southport, and they have clearly looked outside the box in the past.

It's disrespectful to Duff and the League of Ireland to suggest that moving from Shelbourne to Plymouth would be as big of a jump as it was when Schumacher became manager after only managing Southport, albeit he had been Ryan Lowe's second in command, but it would be a big difference in quality.

However, given the resources at his disposal compared to the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Duff is working wonders against the odds, and that is something Plymouth need given their lack of financial spending power compared to some of their Championship rivals.

It might not be an appointment that gets Plymouth supporters wildly excited, but they need to think outside the box this summer, and a move for Duff should be one that the club's hierarchy consider in the weeks to come.